Leiden University Nationalism Network: How to study nationalism from a transnational perspective? Networks, transfer and media

Joep Leerssen is an internationally renowned expert on cultural nationalism and he holds the Chair of Modern European Literature at the University of Amsterdam. Last year he published the Encyclopedia of Romantic Nationalism in Europe (Amsterdam University Press). This ambitious two-volume encyclopedia – with entries from almost 350 scholars – documents the presence and impact of nationalized cultural consciousness in European nationalism. It tracks how intellectuals, historians, philologists, novelists, poets, painters, folklorists, and composers, in an intensely collaborative transnational network, articulated the national identities and aspirations that would go on to determine European history and politics, with effects that are still felt today. In his lecture, he will present the Encyclopedia and reflect on the challenges of studying nationalism from a transnational perspective.

Leiden University Nationalism Network

Nationalism is on the rise. Nationalist politicians are in power in countries like Hungary, Russia, India, Philippines and Venezuela. With Brexit and the election of Donald Trump nationalism has also become a prominent ideology in the most important powers in the Western world. National identity and nation--‐building are a key issues in political debates all over the world, including the Netherlands.

Nationalism has a long history and has been studied by a large number of experts from a broad range of disciplines, also within our own university. The Leiden University Nationalism Networknow aims to bring these scholars together to discuss recent developments in the field of nationalism studies.